Samuel howard



No. 625,770. Patented May 30, I899. S. HOWARD.

ORGAN ATTACHMENT.

(Application filed Apr. 29, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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ifzirwmwx I 77,1/672 Zorz low the highest treble or above the lowest UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL HOTVARD, OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

ORGAN ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Application filed April 29, 1898.

To all ZU/LO777/ it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL HOWARD, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of Manchester, England, have invented a new or Improved Organ or Like Solo Attachment, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to American organs and to all other musical instruments of a like kind (automatic or otherwise) operating by an exhaust action on the reed-box or cavityboard or equivalent part of the instrument; and such invention consists, essentially, of a further application of the stopping-out or muting principle described in the specification of my former patent, No. 596,510.

According to my present invention I employa special or additional cavity-board with one or more sets of reeds, and in lieu of miniature mutes I employ a continuous mute"(or mutes) and effect the muting of the notes hebass by means of the pallets of the cavityboard.

On the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are a representation in elevation and a plan, respectively, of the additional cavityboard, representing two sets of reeds and the set of levers for operating the pallets, which. in the example shown represent the treble. Figs. 3 and 4 represent certain details.

In accordance with my invention I employ a reed-box or cavity-board A supplementary or auxiliary to the ordinary cavity-board B, and such auxiliary cavity-board may represent one, two, or more sets of reeds. WVith such cavity-board I employ continuous mutes O in lieu of the miniature mutes described in my said former specification, and such continuous mutes are operated in the ordinary manner by stops on the front of the organ. For each pallet D of the said cavity-board I provide a lever E, hinged on action-rail F at one end and at the other end resting upon the plunger-collar G of a plunger H, belonging to cavity-board B and identified with the same note, and in lieu of sustaining the pallet D by the ordinary spring I sustain it by a small rod or link I from its lever E. The effect of this combination is that as said lever E falls by the depression of plunger H of cavity-board B the pallet D is allowed to un- Patent N0. 625,770, dated May 30, 1899.

Serial No. 679,206. (No model.)

cover its cavity, and with the continuous mute or mutes O raised the reed (or reeds) is (or are) allowed to sound.

To eifect now the muting of all the notes below the highest note of each chord in the the curvature or radius of which is struck from the axis of the lever. This segmental tooth or projectionin the case of the treble extends underneath the adjoining lever E, representing the next lower note, and in the case of the bass extends underneath the adjoining lever E, representing the next higher note, and the forward end of said levers (or a wire extension thereof) lies under the collar of the plunger identified with the higher (treble) or lower (bass) note.

The fulcrum or leverage of each lever J is such that the instant the end beneath the plunger-collar is depressed the segmental projection L is brought immediately under or into touching contact with its lever E and, acting as a strut, prevents suchlever being lowered. Hence the note identified with such proppedup lever cannot be sounded, while the plunger of the higher (treble) or lower (bass) note continues to be depressed. This stopping-out or muting of one note is imparted to all the lower notes beyondit by providing each of the levers J with a finger or projection M in the case of the treble, which extends beneath the adjoining lever representing the lower note, (see Figs. 2 and 3,) and in the case of the bass extends beneath the adjoining 1evers representing the higher note, (see Fig. 4,) and thus as one lever is tilted or depressed all the levers J representing the lower (treble) or highest (bass) notes are tilted with it. Said fingers may be long enough to extend under two or more levers; but for nicety of action I prefer them to extend under one le= ver only.

The normal position of the levers E and re= pose of levers J is as shown in Fig. 1, with sufficient space between the top of each seg mental projection L and the lever above it to allow such lever when representing, the highest (treble) or lowest (bass) note of the chord to be lowered without touching such projection, and for insuring of the space being sufficient the lever is formed with a slight indent or recess N. The position of a lever E when lowered and a lever J when tilted is as shown in dotted lines. In lieu of the fingers M being beneath the levers they may be above, at the plunger end. The weight of the segmental projection insures of the shorter ends of levers J being alwaysin play with the plunger-collars.

To insure of the pallets D being adjusted to properly close their cavities and to insure of the cavities remaining properly closed when the muting takes 'place, I provide each pallet, link, or rod I with a spring 0 and adjustable collars I and Q. The adjustment of the collars P in relation to the spring 0 is such that with the parts in their normal position it just insures of the cavity being closed, while the adjustment of the collar Q is such that it lies a short distance from the under side of lever E, so as not to interfere with the pull of spring 0, and yet when the lever E is lowered insures of the pallet being lowered. In lieu of such arrangement I may simply employ a screwed collar resting upon lever E. .To vary the adjustment between the levers E and segmental projections L, I may also employ a setscrew at the point of contact, as indicated in dotted lines.

\Vhile I prefer to employ a separate reedbox or cavity-board, I may apply my invention to the ordinary cavity-board B; but for facilityin adapting my invention to existing organs and allowing the additional set or sets of reeds to be played when my invention is not in operation, also for affording a more powerful effect, I prefer to employ a supplementaryreed-box, and such reed-boX instead of being ofa horizontal may be of a vertical type.

For enablin the additional cavity-board to be sounded without my invention I mount the action-rail K upon a hinged. base K, capable under the action of an ordinary stop of being raised or lowered, and thus of allowing the levers J to be raised into the position necessary for effecting the muting-out and to be lowered. into a position which allows all the levers E to be lowered.

For all practical purposes it is only necessary or desirable to applymy invention to about one octave in the bass and two octaves in the treble; but for the purpose of affording the full additional set of reeds in ordinary playing I continue the levers E for the entire length of the cavity-board, causing their extremities to lie under instead of over the collars G, provide springs for the pallets D, and cause the said levers to push the pallets down.

Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish itto be understood that I do not limit myself to the exact form or shape of levers or to the exact method of locking the levers or operating the pallets, and

What I claim is- 1. In American organs and like musicalinstruments, the combination of a supplementary reed-box A, pallets D levers E connected by links-I to said pallets, and levers J with projection L all mounted and operating under the action of collars Gr and plungers H, as set forth.

2. In American organsand like musical instruments the combination with the ordinary sets of reeds of a supplementary set or sets of reeds, a continuous mute or mutes for said reeds, the herein-described muting apparatus comprising pallets D, levers E, linksI and levers J with projections L and extension M and said levers J mounted on a hinged base K under the control of a stop, as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In combination with the main and supplementary reedboxes, the pallets D, the plungersI I, the levers E between for controlling the pallets from the plungers, the devices to engage the levers E to prevent the operation thereof together with the pallets D, said devices being controlled by the plungers H, substantially as described.

4. In combination, the ordinary reed-box, the supplemental reed-box, the pallets D, the

plungers of the ordinary reed-box, the collars SAMUEL HOWARD. lVitnesses:

WALTER GUNN,

HENRY JUNOA. 

